Ball-pointed pen



L. COLER-DARK BALL-POINTED PEN March 21, 1950 Filed Aug. 7, 1948 INVENTOR K R A S m L E O N C R O E n L A S E l Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL-POINTED PEN Leslie Coler-Dark, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Universal Fountain Pen & Pencil Company,

New York, N. Y., a copartnership Application August 7, 1948, Serial No. 43,089

3 Claims. 1

clamping member, between the forwardly extending spring jaws of which the upper end of the writing unit is removably held. The spring, which normally maintains the writing unit in retracted position and theiorce of which the writer must overcome to project the tip beyond the barrel and into writing position, is placed within a cap, slidable' with reference to thebarrel, and acts upon-it and the barrel, the cap in turn being connected with the slidable clamping member. A latch is providedto hold the unit in writing position against the thrust of the spring. When the latch is released the spring normally retracts the unit; however, further pressure exerted by the writer upon the cap will project the tip beyond the writing position where it may be readily grasped and withdrawn from the jaws of the clamping member and replaced by a refill.

A further object of my invention is to provide a sturdy, serviceable pen with a simple retracting mechanism, easily operated and not easily put out of order.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, all the parts shown being made of metal. In these drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a retractile ball-pointed pen made in accordance with my invention and showing the writing unit in retracted position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the writing unit projected with the tip in writing position and held in place by the latch;

Figure 3 is similar to the preceding views, but showing the writing unit projected even further so that it may be withdrawn for replacement;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the slidable clamping member showing the construction of the latch bolt;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the clamping member in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a sleeve which is mounted upon the upper end of the barrel and is provided with a keyhole slot.

The pen illustrated in these drawings comprises a barrel I, having a tapered lower end 2 2 terminating in an opening 3. Fixed upon the upper end of the barrel, and constituting, in ef-' feet, an extension of it is a slottedsleeve 4, within which is mounted a slidable clamping member 5. Fitting over both the sleeve and the upper end of the barrel and slidable thereon is a cap 6 connected to the clamping member by means of a pin I. overlying the upper end of the sleeve' 4 is a disk 8 against which abuts a compression coil spring 9, the other end of which abuts against the inner upper end of the'cap 6. The sleeve 4 is provided with a keyhole slot In through which the connecting pin 1 extends, the slot en-' abling the cap to be moved longitudinally with reference to the barrel and sleeve. provided near one end with a circular enlargement H, whose function will be presently described.

The slidable clamping member 5 comprises a cylindrical block I 2, into which the pin 7 is fitted, having a bore l3 in which a latch bolt I4 is slidably mounted. This bolt comprises a latch pin l5 and a block it, the underface of the block being countersunk for the reception of a small compression coil spring H, the lower end of which bears against a pin 18 which spans the lower.

open end of the bore [3. This bore is provided at its upper end with an overhanging annular shoulder I!) which acts as a stop for the bolt, the block I6 being provided with a corresponding annular shoulder 20. As shown in Figure 4, the bolt is in its outermost position, but it can be pushed down into the bore I3 against the slight pressure of the coil spring 17. Two opposed spring jaws 2| extend forwardly from the block [2. These are curved transversely, as shown in Figure 5, and are provided with flaring ends 22.

for the ready reception of the writing unit, as will be explained presently.

The writing unit comprises a tubular, openended ink reservoir 23 on the lower end of which is mounted a conical tip 24 terminating in a socket which holds a writing ball 25. The upper end of the ink reservoir is inserted between and frictionally held by the clamping jaws 2i, being guided between them by the flaring ends 22. As writing pressure will force the writing unit upward until the upper end of the reservoir engages the adjacent face of the block H of the clampin member, I provide that face with an air vent 26 which communicates with the bore l3 and gives free access of air to the interior of the reservoir. As shown in Figure l, the latch pin l5 extends loosely through a hole 21 in the cap 6 and also through the slot ll] of the sleeve 4. The width The slot is;

of this slot for most of its length is slightly wider than the diameter of the pin I and latch pin 85, but is narrower than the block 16 which consti tutes the body of the bolt 14. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, when the writing unit is retracted, the bolt is depressed through the action of the overhanging -walls of the sleeve 4, adjacent the slot H), the upper end-of the latch pin lying substantially flush" with the outer faceof the cap. The

upper end of the cap is provided with a pocket clip 28 of conventional design, the lower end of which overlies the outer end of the latch pin, as shown in Figure 1.

The pen is operated as followsstarting with the parts in the position shown in Figure 1: When the writer desires to project the tip of the writing unit beyond the barrelr'in' ordertouse it, he telescopes the cap and barrel against the resistance of spring 9. Pin 1 and latch pin 55" slide along the slot l0. As the clamping member icarrying the boltId-moves; downwardly in the barrel, thebolt,-follow'ing the slot I8,ultimately-comes into registry with the circular enlargement l I which serves as a-catch', whereupon spring I! snaps the bolt outwardly and into this catch; as shown in'Figure 2, the latch pin projecting beyond the cap, thuspressin'g against the lower end of the clip and 'swingingit upwardly. In this "position thepen is' ready for writing with its parts latched in that :'.position. In order to release the latch; it" is only necessary for the writer to press -;down"up'on-the'clip-pr if there is no clip, thereupon the projecting latch pin thereby pressin'g the:'.bolt' back"intorthe bore 13 andciout '2' of the icatch": I l permitting the compressed Icoihspring a .itot-rettitcnthe f parts to 'the positionshown in'Eigure *1.

Replacement of an empty writing unit rwithra refill is effected as follows The writer; starting from the position of Figure 21 telescopes-the cap and the'barrel and; by exerting continued pressure onthe clip-to prevent latching, moves the parts from the positionfFig'ure 1 .to 'theposition Figure 3 withthe'lower'end'ofithe unit projecting beyond :normal writing position; whereupon it is grasped between finger and thumb and withdrawn'irom the :barrel. While the parts are-still in'the position shown in" Figure. 3,"a' refill is inserted throughthetopeninguntil: its upper in ner end'isclamped betweenthe spring jaws-2L being guided thither by their flared ends '22;

Thelgreat advantage'of 'thisxpen is that an old writing unit may be". replaced by anew one through the lower open end of the barrel without in any waydisturbing the retracting mechanism which is locateduat the other end of the pen. Moreover, the retracting mechanism is simple in construction and not easilyput outof order.

I claim:

1. A ball-pointed pen comprisinga barrel having: an open 1ower'end;a ball-tipped writing unit inthe barrel, a;clamping member in the barrel having opposed spring jaws for removably holding the'writing unit, a cap slidably mounted on the barrel, a pin connecting the clamping -member with the cap, the barrel having a longitudinal .slot :for receiving the connecting pin and of such length as to permit. projection of the writing unit beyond writing position and retraction of it within the barrel, latching means for holding the writing unit in writing position, and a compression spring in the cap urging the cap away from the barrel for retracting the unit within the barrel when the parts are unlatched.

2. A ball-pointed pen comprising a barrel having an open lower. end, a ball-tipped writing unit in the barrel, a clamping member in the barrel having opposed spring jaws for removably holding the writing unit, a cap slidably mounted on the barrel, a pin connecting the clamping member with the cap, a spring-pressed latch bolt carried by the clamping member, a latch pin on the bolt, the barrel having a longitudinal slot for receiving the connecting pin and the latch pin, said slot having an enlargement therein constituting a catch for receiving the bolt and holding the writing unit in writing position with its tip projecting from the open lower end of the barrel, the 'cap having a h'ole'therein through" which the latch'pin projects when the latch bolt is in the catch and whereby the bolt can be slid from the catch, and acompression spring in thecap pressing against the-upper enol 'ofthe barrel and the upper inner end of the cap for moving the cap upwardly and retractingthe unit withinthebarrel when the parts are unlatchedfi 3. A ball-pointed pen comprising-abarrel having an open lower end,'a"b'all-'tipped writing unit in the barreLa'clamping member-in the barrel havingopposed springijaws' -forremovably holding the writing unit, a scap slidably mounted on the barrel, a' pin connecting the-clamping mem her with the cap, a spring-pressed latch bolt carried by the clamping'member; a latch pin on the bolt, the barrel? having :a lon'gitudinal slot forire ceiving the connectinglpin andthe latch-:pin ,'said* slot having an enlargement therein intermediate its length constituting a .catch for receiving the bolt and holdingithe writing unit inwriting position with its tip projecting from'the'opemlower end of the barrel, the cap having a holeltherein through whichthe' latch pinz'zproject f-when' the latch bolt is in' the catch: and iwherebyithe bolt can be slid fromtthe'catc'h, anda compression spring in the cap' pressing against the :upper end of the barrel and the upperinnerzend of the cap for moving the cap upwardly'andretractingthe unit within the barrel when'the parts are unlatched, the portion of the longitudinal slot below the enlargement permitting projection of the writing unit beyond writing position whereby the writing unit may be grasped and removed LESLIE COLER-DARK.

REFERENCES. CITED The ioll'owing'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Number Name Date 364,916 Goldsmith June 14, 1887 1,797,016 Osborne Mar. 17, 1931 2,170,761 Maucher Aug. 22,1939 2,400,679 Biro: May 21,1946 2,427,068 Randolph S'ept. 9,1947 

